SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Bethel College women's basketball team battled early but couldn't keep pace with Evangel University, falling 82-64 on Saturday afternoon at AGFinancial Arena. The loss drops the Threshers to 12-10 overall and 11-5 in KCAC.

Kendall Locke led Bethel with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while Madyson McKinzie contributed 13 points and seven assists. Caryn Yoder added eight points, but the Threshers struggled to match Evangel's efficiency, shooting just 36.9% from the field and 13.3% from three-point range.

How It Happened

Bethel started strong, jumping out to a 23-18 lead after the first quarter behind McKinzie's early scoring and Yoder's aggressive play. However, Evangel responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Threshers 25-7 to take a 43-30 lead into halftime.

The Threshers regrouped in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to single digits with a 19-15 advantage, but Evangel pulled away in the fourth with a 24-15 run to seal the victory.

Evangel's Ali Kamies led all scorers with 22 points, while Kamie Jenkins controlled the glass with 17 rebounds to go along with 13 points.

Inside the Numbers

• Bethel shot 36.9% from the field and just 13.3% (2-for-15) from three-point range.
• The Threshers went 14-of-16 (87.5%) from the free-throw line.
• Evangel controlled the rebounding battle, 42-20, including a 9-3 edge in offensive rebounds.
• Bethel forced 16 Evangel turnovers but gave up 11 second-chance points.

Up Next

The Threshers return to Thresher Gym on Wednesday, February 5th, for a key matchup against Sterling College. Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM.